PGA Tour Canada running out of time in Vancouver

VANCOUVER - David Lee-Fay has had several nibbles but no bites as he fishes for a title sponsor for a PGA Tour Canada event next year in Metro Vancouver.

And if he doesn't land one in the next two or three weeks, there will be no Vancouver stop on the inaugural PGA Tour Canada schedule in 2013.

Lee-Fay is one of the principals of Linx Marketing, which has run Canadian Tour events in Fort McMurray and Edmonton in recent years. When the PGA Tour announced last month it was taking over the Canadian Tour, it asked Lee-Fay to try and find sponsors for a Metro Vancouver event.

"We are still working on it." Lee-Fay said Monday. "We have had a few companies that have expressed interest and they are going through their due diligence process right now and we are hoping to hear back soon."

Make that very soon. Lee-Fay acknowledged that time is not on his side.

"We are running out of time a little bit because we are getting close to the end of the year and I know a lot of companies are already in budget mode. We're basically getting down to the wire now. We need to know in the next couple of weeks.

"If we are not successful in finding someone in the next short while, we will start focusing our attention on the 2014 schedule."

The PGA Tour, which officially took over the Canadian Tour on Nov. 1, has said it wants a minimum of eight events in 2013. The Canadian Tour last held an event in Metro Vancouver in 2009, when the City of Surrey Invitational was played at Hazelmere Golf Club.

The First Tee of Greater Vancouver, one of only two Canadian chapters of the golf-mentoring program, is hoping to partner with a potential Vancouver sponsor.

SOO GOOD: Coquitlam's SooBin Kim was named Pac-12 golfer of the month for October and the University of Washington sophomore is now ranked No. 2 in U.S. collegiate rankings.

Kim's October included a 12-shot win and a tournament record score of 11-under at the Huskies' Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational. Kim wrapped up her fall season by shooting four-under to finish second at last week's Stanford Intercollegiate tourney in California.

GOLF HOUSE VACANCY: The challenges facing the B.C. Golf House Society don't figure to get any easier now that Barry McWha has departed after four years as executive director.

McWha, who had managed to increase membership numbers during his tenure and stabilize operations, resigned to become general manager of the Sunshine Coast Golf Club.

The society operates the B.C. Golf Museum, which is located behind the 17th tee at University Golf Club. It has long relied on corporate and individual donations to fund its operations.

Michael Mather, general manager of University Golf Club and a member of the society's board of directors, said the board will meet later this month to discuss how to move forward. Mather credited McWha with helping to make the museum more of a known commodity outside of golf circles.

"He is probably the best person we have had in that role," Mather said.

REPEAT WINNER: Five British Columbians were among the player of the year winners announced by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association.

Coquitlam's Jisoo Keel was the junior girls' recipient for the second straight year, while Adam Svensson of Surrey was selected in the junior boys' category. Other B.C. winners included Victoria's Alison Murdoch (senior women), Christina Proteau of Port Albernia (women's mid-amateur) and Kevin Carrigan of Victoria (men's mid-amateur).

POINTS TAKEN: Lake Cowichan's Dawn Coe-Jones won two of her three matches to help the World team to a 24-24 draw with Team USA at the annual Handa Cup matches. The Handa Cup is part of the Legends Tour, which is comprised of former LPGA Tour players.

Coe-Jones beat Betsy King in her singles match on Sunday and partnered with fellow Canadian Lorie Kane to beat the American duo of Nancy Lopez and Nancy Scranton in an alternate-shot match.

Former Kelowna resident Gail Graham earned one and a half points for the World team. The U.S. team retained the Cup with the draw.

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